IBM’s Multicultural Multinational Teams Essay

When someone thinks of a well-established and traditional company, they may think of IBM. IBM is well known for its written and unwritten rules. IBM likes to focus on individual promotions and achievement and the expectation of lifetime service at the company. But times have changed in this day and age. The company’s new focus is on teamwork. The total amount of hours that IBM devoted to management time for team projects is a great idea and has shown that teams can improve a company for the better. Their human resources department did an excellent job in dedicating those hours to team projects. The teams of employees that IBM sends overseas will bring them new clients but will also widens the opportunity for new clients through helping other companies or organizations. By developing teams, IBM will be able to prepare an extremely strong and varied team. The teams can coup-up with any culture and get the job done successfully. By developing teams IBM will get a leader or problem solver, the team members can work together globally and become sensitive to another culture and their traditions or customs, it will build trust and understanding amongst the team members to complete a project, and any experience team can support a team that does not have a leader or someone who is an affective communicator. Working in teams will benefit both IBM and the employees. IBM’s culture had to change to keep up with society and the changing times. Not only will that but team focused companies have skills variety, diversity, a common purpose and goal. So, essentially companies that are focus on teams rather than individual work are better companies. There are five stages to forming an effective team. These developing steps are forming, storming, and norming, performing and adjourning. The first stage, forming is when the team members will get together to meet each other professionally and hear about goals and any information that the managers have given to help them. The second stage, storming is the adverse phases of the group stop progress. This phase is when members of the group may become unwilling to abide by the rules and regulations that where agreed upon during the forming stage. In some instances, management may have to set in and resolve the issue. The third stage is norming, in which disagreements are resolved Rules, regulations and leadership may have been changed to better suit the group. During this phase more constructive work and assignment completion may happen. The fourth stage is performing; this is when the group is at the top of performance.

Report on Multi User Operating Systems Essay

Resources Sharing – Concepts of Resource Sharing A multi user operating system can support more that one user at a time, this means that multiple users can share the same system resources simultaneously. The users of a multi user operating system can share both hardware and software resources, the operating system carries out complicated routines to manage all the processes that the users are running. – List of shared resources: – * Hardware CPU Power, RAM, Hard drive, Peripherals (printer, Scanner, CD ROM) Other peripherals may be made available in a MUOS for users who require them (Floppy disk drive, Speakers, Head Phones, Video Cameras etc.) * Software – Scheduler Software (needed to manage and prioritise tasks). – Batch Job Some processes take a long time to complete and can often disturb other computer tasks that are important. A Batch Job is a file that does not require any user interaction, so it is set up to run a number of processes at a later time, often late at night. One example is overnight maintenance at a bank when they update all the accounts so it will not disrupt the other processes during the day. Multi-Tasking – Concepts of multi-tasking Multi tasking is when the operating system switches between tasks at a very high speed, it can sometimes seem as though it is performing more than one task at a time. For example, a user could be printing and typing at the same time, and listening to a CD. Many users can access the same resources at (what appears to be) the same time. One disadvantage of this is that it requires a great deal of memory and the processes may run slower. The two types of multi-tasking are co-operative and pre-emptive: * Pre-emptive – This is when the applications are forced to give up the CPU after a certain length of time so that the other processes get an equal share of CPU time. (time-sliced). * Co-operative multi-tasking is when it is the current running tasks responsibility to share the CPU to the other processes. One task must finish before the other starts. It is called Co-operative because all the tasks must co-operate for this type of processing to work and there is no time limit on each task. (Round Robin). – Advantages / Disadvantages An advantage of Pre-emptive multi-tasking is that some important tasks may be allocated a more time slices so it will not be stalled by other smaller tasks. A disadvantage of both types of multi-tasking is that it requires a large amount of memory to work properly. Background Processing – Concepts of background / foreground processing When a task will require a long time to process and requires no user input e.g. downloading a large file from the internet, it can be processed later when the computer is not processing other tasks. Background processing is often used in banks and businesses to process the customer’s accounts at the end of each day, the operating system can be left to run the process overnight or when the CPU is not currently being used by a task that requires a great deal of processing. – Unix command to run background processing Control-Z = Leave process running in background bg = Continue process at background Control-C = move foreground process to background Fg = move the process to foreground – Example of a background process If you need to run a large print job, e.g. printing out one hundred copies of a Workbook for a group of students, it can be set as a background process and will only use CPU power when other tasks are not running. Types of Multi-User Operating System Multi-Processor – More than one CPU Multi user operating systems can sometimes have more that one processor. In some expensive operating systems it is possible to connect more CPUs to the system and have them work together to execute tasks. Multiprocessing can significantly reduce the time taken to execute each process. An operating system with multiple processors can perform different tasks separately or a task can be split up and processed by different CPUs. – Advantages / Disadvantages An advantage is that multi processing systems can be very speedy at completing tasks. A disadvantage is that this type of system is very expensive. Time-Sliced As multi user operating systems share resources, different processes can require different amounts of time. It is possible and to interrupt a large process so that a smaller process to be completed. If you were using a time slicing system then the processor will switch between processes at timed intervals (Pre-emptive). The amount of time allocated to each process is called a time slice. The length of time given for each time-slice is allocated by a program called a scheduler. – An advantage is that larger or more important processes may be given more time slices than a smaller task so it can be completed, however this could also be a disadvantage if there are many users executing smaller tasks as they will take longer to be finished. Distributed The distributed system is where a number of systems are connected through a Local Area Network. This can be more powerful than a single processor system and it is capable of online sharing. Hardware Components Processor – The CPU is the brain of the operating system. It responds to and processes and instructions that control the computer. The control unit in a CPU controls everything which happens within, the ALU does calculations and is responsible for decision making and the accumulator stores the last data that was decoded for future processes. There are various registers within the CPU, they are the instruction register, which holds the instruction that is being decoded, the program counter stores what part of the program we have reached, the memory address register points to the location where data is being fetched or written and the memory data register is a storage area for data that is currently being transferred between the memory and the CPU. – The Fetch-Decode-Execute Cycle has three important stages. * FETCH – The CPU collects an instruction from the RAM * DECODE – The control unit figures out what to do with it. * EXECUTE – The instruction is carried out – The speed of an FDE cycle depends on how fast the processor is (the length of time it takes for the signals to be sent to the control bus, and how many T-cycles each assembly instruction takes to execute. Memory Random Access Memory is sometimes known as ‘main memory’. RAM is volatile, which means it loses all the stored information when the power is cut off. Some computers also use virtual memory, which is stored in the hard drive but acts like RAM, this is much slower than physical memory. Another type of memory is Read Only Memory (ROM) which can be written to but cannot be erased. Data Storage Devices – Floppy disk – can be written to and erased, 1.44Mb – CD ROM – Can be written to but not erased, 700Mb – Hard Drive – stores many Gigabytes, can be written to and erased – Zip Drive – can be written to and erased, 100 – 250Mb Terminals – Dumb Terminal – A dumb terminal has no processing capabilities as they have no memory or processor of their own, it has only a monitor, keyboard and mouse. They are connected to a central processor. – Intelligent Terminal – An intelligent terminal contains memory and a CPU and is a standalone device. It only has to connect to the central processor when needed. – Command to find terminal type – terminfo Input / Output Devices Dumb Terminal – Input – keyboard and mouse. – Output – monitor Intelligent Terminal – Input – keyboard, mouse, scanner, touch screen. – Output – monitor, printer, speakers Software Components Kernel The Kernel is the heart of the operating system, the lowest level or the central part. Communication with the hardware is through the kernel. In multi user operating systems it is the kernel’s job to keep each process and user separate and to organize access to the system hardware, including CPU, memory, disk and other I/O devices. Device Handlers A device is any piece if hardware that is used in an operating system. A device handler is a piece of software within the operating system that communicates with the devices and tells them what to do. This is part of the operating system that is responsible for servicing requests of the device request queue. Spoolers (Simultaneous peripheral operations on-line) Spooling is used when data is waiting to go to an output device after it has been processed. The data is placed into a queue so that the CPU can process something else instead of having to slow down to the speed of the output device. Spoolers are used on mainly old devices e.g. old printers that can only handle one job at a time User Interface This is how the user can view the data within the operating system. The main types of user interfaces are; the graphical user interface e.g. Windows and Command driven interface e.g. MS DOS and standard UNIX. The CDI was more complicated to use than a GUI as you would have to know certain commands to do very basic tasks. Bibliography Index http://physinfo.ulb.ac.be/cit_courseware/opsys/ostart.htm http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/operating-system1.htm http://physinfo.ulb.ac.be/cit_courseware/opsys/ostart.htm http://www.canberra.edu.au/~sam/whp/unix-cmd.html http://cm.bell-labs.com/

A Critique of Peter Maxs Versions of The Mona Lisa

A Critique of Peter Max's Versions of The Mona Lisa The second piece of artwork chosen is by the artist Peter Max and he displays his version of the iconic Mona Lisa. Peter Max’s versions are titled Mona Lisa, Version I #4 and Mona Lisa, Version I #5, respectively. The Mona Lisa is one of the most iconic and the most recognized portrait around the world. This particular portrait is known for the woman’s mysterious smile as well as the unknown identity of the woman in the portrait. Through Max’s versions of the renowned painting, he encourages the viewers to reexamine and interpret the embodiment of the woman’s beautiful features as well as her enigmatic stare. One way that is able to aid in the analysis of these pieces of work is the biographical analysis. There are numerous speculations about the ambiguity of the Mona Lisa along with the history that comes with it. In order to analyze Max’s work, more information would need to be provided to further understand why he had chose to create his own versions of the iconic Mona Lisa painting. In Peter Max’s versions of this iconic portrait, he uses a variety of colors and hues as well as altering the background of the portrait can also skew the interpretation or meaning of the original. As I did further research on this particular artist, he is mostly well known as a pop culture icon. He has inspired many with the use of his bold colors, images, and an uncommon artistic diversity in American culture. Most of his work features icons and symbols in his work, which in this instance, he uses the icon Mona Lisa. Many of his paintings included American icons and symbols such as presidents Carter, Reagan, Bush and others. He also features images of famous celebrities, politicians, and other popular culture subjects and events in his work. Now knowing more background information about the artist, my interpretation of Max’s Mona Lisa, Version I #4 and Mona Lisa, Version I #5 is to merely celebrate the renowned portrait and its demonstration of high culture as it still remains popular after centuries because of the ambiguous symbolism within the painting of the Mona Lisa. In my opinion and through observations, the work seems to be calculated. Since Max is well known for using bold colors and showing most or all of the colors of the spectrum. I believe that Peter Max’s purpose of creating these works of art was to transform the ordinary as well as change the ideas of art as a whole. As a pop culture artist, the goal was tarnish the boundaries of low and high culture and that art can be borrowed from almost anywhere, hence the fact that Max borrows most of his work from pop culture events or subjects. Questions that have been brought to my attention is that if there is any purpose to the use of colors and why those colors in particular. Are they unrelated to the interpretation or meaning of the original painting? Is the background significant in any way in these pieces of work? Other than making a point about low and high culture and its boundaries it is possible to make a reasoned statement about the artist’s aim as it serves its purpose by using a very familiar painting that is known around the world and is recognizable to many generations. Max was able to borrow an idea and was inspired to refresh this well known painting from centuries ago and made something new out of it.

The Spiritual-Needs Assessment Tool Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Spiritual-Needs Assessment Tool - Essay Example From this discussion it is clear that  the reporter made several significant discoveries about the patient that he chose to assess. He found out that morality and ethics were high on his list of spiritual needs. The illness he had was a challenge and struggle to him and he needed guidance and support in maintaining a commitment to his principles that for a foundation of his spiritual life. For example, because of the realization that he could not make the decision by himself to do as he pleases in regard to his spiritual needs, for instance going to the mass, he requested that he be given particular times both in the morning and in the evening so that he can pray without disturbance. He also requested that his belongings for his spiritual needs be respected.  This study outlines that the author of the essay  discovered that the patient wanted his spiritual needs to be respected by the health care team and that he could put his trust on them to do exactly that. To him respect an d trust were very important as aspects that could help the healthcare team to fulfill his spiritual needs. His requests acted as an agreement between him and the healthcare team who will be providing care for him while he was in hospital. Therefore, this agreement ought to be respected.  The reporter discovered that the patient was not ready at any cost to compromise his spiritual needs even though he was ill.

Swire Pacific Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Swire Pacific - Case Study Example Through its development it has nearly 4000 permanently employed staff and over 9000 cockpit and cabin crew, which enables the company offer unrivalled services, with this numbers its one of the highest employer in Honk Kong's economy. Cathy pacific services limited won the bid in the first quarter of 2008 to set up a new cargo handling facility at the Hong Kong International Airport in the which would be built at a cost of HK$4.8 billion, with this it would be able to handle the largest air cargo in world within the year 2011 upon its completion (Steger, 2003). The airline has partnered with other major global airlines in the oneworld global alliance, which serves in 150 countries with more than 700 destinations. It also has interest in airline catering services with one of the largest flight kitchens in the world, with wholly owned subsidiaries servicing other international carriers across Hong Kong. With Swire owning 40% of Cathy Pacific Airways it has interest in aviation engineering through Hong Kong Engineering Company Limited after a merger was sealed between the companies. Being listed on the Hong Kong stock market, it has 4,600 employees in Hong Kong. It is the largest maintenance service provider in Hong Kong International Airport and in Asia's aeronautical maintenance industry. With the construction of the third and fourth maintenance hangar it provides Hong Kong extra employment and income generating opportunities. With 2000 employees in its ground services company in Hong Kong, as well as its Vogue Laundry Unit serving over 20 airlines, it has an edge over Hong Kong's economic prospects on its hospitality industry than any other aviation company around (Murray, 2006). Beverages With Swire Pacific being an anchor bottler with coca-cola, it is the main distributor and product developer for coca-cola brands in Hong Kong and mainland China, under the brand name Swire coca-cola Hong Kong Limited where Pacific owns 87.5% in shareholding. This clearly makes Swire Pacific the highest employer in Hong Kong beverage industry through its high operations base and more than 15 distribution and sales centers to serve a market base of more than 47million in Hong Kong and 400nillion around the globe. Apart from the coca-cola products it also produces mineral water and ready to drink milk tea either with Nescaf'e or Nestl ingredients (Steger, 2003). Hospitality Swire also has interests in the hospitality industry through the completion of its boutique hotels in Hong Kong by its wholly owned subsidiary Swire Hotels, which would be luxurious hotels offering lifestyle to travellers in search of personalized and individual services. This would make Hong Kong one of the major tourist and business travel destinations in the larger Asia. With promotion of the tourism industry it would earn Hong Kong the much needed foreign cash flow and high employment opportunities in its economy (Bastardas-Boada, 2002). Economic Assessment of Asia-Pacific Tourism sector in this

The Impact of Technological Advancement in the Marketing and Sales Essay

The Impact of Technological Advancement in the Marketing and Sales Strategies of Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (NGO) - Essay Example SCHSA began operating to provide services for the elderly. The tremendous growth of technological advancement has become the driving force of the market nowadays. Due to the idea of completing the services for the elders, the organization also promote the kind of service marketing that can boost their competency and credibility in the market. The paper will discuss about the innovation is an important aspect of business and will affect the marketing and sales strategies of SCHSA. It will go through assessing the recent product/device that SCHSA promoted which is the MobileLink service. Furthermore, the discussion will be also focus on the functionality of the technology and if it’s capable in meeting the organization’s objectives. IT Solution in Literature: In today’s modern world, both information technology and society are co-evolving (Hearst and Grudin, 1999). From the last decade, there has been increasing trend towards adopting technology for social interact ion in the society (Hearst and Grudin, 1999). It has been suggested that with the increased rate of IT adoption, it is imperative to understand how technology can be made sophisticated for our social interaction (Hearst and Grudin, 1999). ... The influence of the technological advancements seems to be part of the modern organization. The adoption of appropriate IT solutions impacts ability of an organization to achieve goals. the available literature argues that the development of information systems communication technologies (ICT) will impact the health care (Pegesy et al. 2002) In the modern-day organization, the core competencies do not only lie on the mission or vision and even the application of the organizational strategies. The technological advancement or for such the information technology solution has being part of the organization’s core competencies. Therefore, the IT solution that can be consider as part of the organization’s strategic management consists of the set of skills, experiences, and abilities that may represent the organization’s vision and mission. It has been argued by porter that the capabilities of the technologies might be part of the collective learning which are unique so this at it difficult for competitors to adopt. Senior Citizen Home Safety Association (SCHSA) is a non-profit NGO (non-governmental organization) in Hong Kong (http://www.schsa.org.hk/index_eng.html). SCHSA began operating to provide services for the elderly. The tremendous growth of technological advancement has become the driving force of the market nowadays. The NGO service delivery is provision of care (emotional care, mantle health care) to elderly. As a part of Citizen Home Safety Association’s strategy, the objectives that the NGO strives to achieve include care for aged above 60. The care they prove is broad in the sense that the NGO is continuously working for providing support on emotions, mental wellbeing and

Wearing on Her Nerves by Brown and Ellerton Case Study

Wearing on Her Nerves by Brown and Ellerton - Case Study Example The following essay is about a case study that examines Kathy’s Multiple Sclerosis condition. 1. The nervous system consists of sensory systems, which are responsible for perception of sensory information. Receptors and neural pathways that constitute the sensory system effect sensory perception. The human body is a connection of sensory receptors throughout the body that are responsible for message sending to the brain. For example, the skin contains sensory receptors responsible for capturing messages. The messages are sent to the brain through the neural path to the brain, which then triggers the appropriate reflex action. 2. The musculoskeletal system gives organisms, including humans, the ability to move. This system is responsible for support, stability and movement of the body. The motor neuron of the skeletal system is responsible for the skeletal muscle movement. The motor neuron initiates signals to the muscles using the somatic nervous system. 3. A motor unit is a constituent of the motor neuron. It is responsible for the twitching and contraction of the muscles. The motor unit consists of four components. These include the motor neuron in the brain, its axion, peripheral nerve and the neuromuscular junction. 4. The contraction of muscles helps the body of a human being to stand up. The thigh muscles, which are initiated by the skeletal muscles system, need to contract. This is a joint mechanism between the muscle fibers and the sensory nerve system. The actin and myosin filaments receive signals from the sensory cells that enable the muscles to contract hence the ability to stand up. 5. Skeletal muscle fibers are enormous and multinucleated. Each muscle contains numerous nuclei in the cell membrane. During growth and development, myoblasts fuse together to form skeletal muscle fibers. The sarcolemma is the cell membrane of the muscles, and sarcoplasm or cytoplasm of the muscle fiber is surrounded by the cell membrane.

Business Strategy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Business Strategy - Essay Example gn competition, accelerating technology, automation, population decentralization, expansion, and innovation will spur the appearance of this new marketing form (NINTENDO Home Page 2009). The application of computer technology and the use of new analytical techniques have added greatly to the efficacy of planning activities suing such tools as critical paths, input-output analysis, payoff matrices, decision trees, linear programming, and simulations. In price category, Nintendo proposes low prices in contrast to competitors so the company attracts millions of users around the world (Bresnahan, 2001). For Nintendo, the decision as to whether or not to enter this stage and pursue rapid growth may be influenced by the business leader wanting to make more money, desiring to lead a large business or perhaps for the status. Alternatively it could be driven by the demands of the customers who may want to put more trade with the business and who might take their trade elsewhere if the business cannot respond (NINTENDO Home Page 2009). As such, the Internet and PCs industry enables Microsoft to pursue a low-price strategy while maintaining profitability. There are industries in which this is already proving possible: indeed, in some sectors we are starting to see wholesale migration from physically based methods of doing business to virtual methods. The reasons for such a rapid increase are obvious: the target market of the affluent young (often men) fits well with the demographics of the Internet; regular surfers on the Internet are highly likely also to hold stocks and shares. Finally, the speed with which the transaction can be completed is far quicker than that using the traditional methods. This creates new unlimited opportunities for Microsoft and its new products (Terdiman, 2009). In video game industry, barriers to entry are high because of nearly monopolistic position of such giants as Microsoft and Nintendo. There are some clear forces of change motivating the

Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 7

Ethics - Essay Example Aristotle (cited by Kraut, 2007) describes ethics as endeavour to create the well-being of the human kind. In the modern context philosophers not only try to know ‘how’ of ethics but also deliberate on their (why?) justifiability. While theologists made immutable doctrines rationalists have argued for ethics based on rational principles that can be studied in the reversibility criteria also. The ethics of religion are considered as divine commandments, whereas rational ethics are based on logic and reason. Yet earlier ethics can be dichotomised as those having their basis in emotion or intellect. The utility of ethics can be validated by the principle of utility (utilitarianism), practicability (empiricism) and the rationality (rationality). Jeremy Bentham cited at (cited at philosopher.org) tries to attribute morality to happiness. Their validity of an act is found in the goodness of the act itself (inconsequentialism) or the goodness the act generates (consequentialism). Nietzsche (cited at philosopher.org) relates it to a ‘slave morality’ and ‘master morality.’ But since the times of Nietzsche are passà © we need not induge in this dichotomy and we will study moral principle as o ne whole for the society. Though never have ethical notions earned universal approval yet they have been they accepted but they have been agreed upon by majority of people (Thiroux and Krasemann). The modern day national societies are governed by principles enshrined in constitutions, laws and generally acceptable codes of human conduct. Yet political and ethical rights activists are in constant mode of deliberation on issues like death sentence, foeticide, abortion, and euthanasia. My code of ethics aims at the general good of individual and humanity. It tries to draw limits between what constitutes ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ in the society. All individuals lead a life of contentment and fulfilment. Adults above the age of age of 18 can get married bear children.

Human Resource Practice Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words

Human Resource Practice - Essay Example A major focus of the paper is on the details that pertain to performance and pay within the organisation. The next section will deal with the aims and objectives of this study. The main aim of this study is to understand the impact of human resource management on strategic management along with the overall performance within the company. Major focus of this study will be on the management of employee performance and compensation and benefits. The main objectives of this research can be listed out as follows: As mentioned earlier, the chosen organisation for this study if the National Health Service (NHS). 1948 saw the birth of NHS which was stated as an initiative to provide the citizens with quality and free health care services. The underlying intension of the introduction of this service was to ensure that all citizens across the country have access to free health care and that health of the people is given first importance to. The initiative was funded by the tax payers money and this was dependent on the position and financial situation of the tax payers (Dowling and Richardson, 2000). As an attempt, a number of doctors, nurses, other medical practitioners and pharmacists were brought together by Aneurin Bevan, then the health secretary. Bevan went on to use all the above and to start a new hospital in Manchester, named Park Hospital. Aneurin Bevan was very interested and passionate to ensure that all citizens receive the proper health treatment without having to worry about the co st or even the location where they were treated. Bevan was keen on opening up NHS across all cities to ensure that everyone received excellent treatment at all times. Being the health secretary, the main aim and intension was to ensure good care for the unwell with no focus on the finances or economic condition of the person. As this initiative grew, it went on to gain a collective name across England, Wales, Ireland and Scotland and came to be christened as

The Physics of a Guitar Essay Example for Free

The Physics of a Guitar Essay The guitar is the most played instrument in the music world. The oldest surviving guitar is thought to be made around 1776 in Italy by Gaetano Vinaccia. Though, the guitar looks like a simple instrument to construct or play there is a lot of physics behind the creation of it, from the strings to the air inside, the anatomy, and the sound spectrum. There are three types of guitars that are made: nylon acoustic, steel-string, and electric. Acoustic guitars produce sound due to a complicated interaction called coupling. Coupling refers to the interaction between two or more vibrating elements. It depends on geometry, sound frequency, and the materials that are used to make it. There are 3 parts to how a guitar works: the strings, body, and the air inside. The pitch of the string vibrating depends in four things. If the strings are the vibration will be slower. The frequency can be changes by string tension by turning the pegs on the guitar. Also, the frequency depends on how long the string that is free to vibrate and finally the mode of vibration. The body of the guitar is to transmit the vibration of the bridge into the vibration of the air. It needs a relatively large surface area for the vibration of both the bridge and air. The body of the guitar is usually made of spruce wood or a light springy wood and it’s about 2. 5 mm thickness. The top plate is made so that it can vibrate up and down easily enough. Now, the inside of the plate has a series of bridges that strengthen the plate. Those braces will also affect the way in which the top plate vibrates. The air inside of the body of the guitar is important, especially for the lower rang on the instrument. That air is also coupled effectively to the lowest resonance of the top plate. There is something called the Helmholtz resonance, which is due to the air at the sound hole oscillating. That is driven by the springiness of the air inside of the body. Air is springy, if it’s compressed the pressure increases which can vibrate like a mass on a spring. A guitar’s sound board is the most important element in sound production and displays resonant modes, similar to strings/pipes. Though there are two differences between a guitar strings/pipes. First, the sound board can be considered 2 dimensional in a guitar, while the other would be 1 dimensional. Second, the frequency of the resonant modes generally does not follow a simple harmonic progression. To observe the resonance modes of the soundboard there are various ways. Optically: holographic, interferometry, and laser velocimetry which has a laser beam that is reflected off various points on the soundboard. Acoustically, that had an array of microphone or a single microphone while scanning the area that detects various peaks in sound intensity while the guitar is excited. Electronically, it examines the capacitance between a charged plate on the vibrating soundboard and another charged plate held steady. Lastly mechanically, an accelerometer/ velocity transducer with which the mechanically vibrations are measured directly. Most of the sounds are made of a complicated mixture of vibrations. The sound spectrum is a representation of a sound in the terms of an amount of vibration at each of the individual frequency. It’s presented as a graph of either power or pressure that is a function of frequency. The sound spectra are usually measured using a couple different things. They use a microphone that measures the sound pressure over a certain interval, analogue that is a digital converter which converts this to a series of numbers as a function of time, and a computer which performs a calculation upon those numbers.

Alcoholism as the Plot Builder of Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned Essay Example for Free

Alcoholism as the Plot Builder of Fitzgerald’s The Beautiful and Damned Essay To echo Fitzgerald’s postulation of Antony Patch’s messed up life, â€Å"†¦As winter approached it seemed that a sort of madness seized upon Anthony. He awoke in the morning so nervous that Gloria could feel him trembling in the bed before he could muster enough vitality to stumble into the pantry for a drink. He was intolerable now except under the influence of liquor, and as he seemed to decay and coarsen under her eyes, Glorias soul and body shrank away from himCITATION Fit02 p 111 l 1033 (Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 111)† This is a depiction of a desperate man’s life that has turned to alcohol after experiencing multiple frustrations in life all through his adulthood and a wife who is drawn away from him for this reason. How Antony Patch’s character is molded and developed in the novel is just but a reflection of the messed lives of many uber-rich adults who were lucky enough to be born in rich families but ended up blowing up lifetime opportunities in wasteful escapades of lavish spending during the excessive drinking and partying Jazz Era of the 1920s. Ideally, The Beautiful and Damned is about Anthony Patch who is married Gloria Gilbert and they are hypnotized with the party life. They lead an extravagant life where they enjoy throwing and attending parties which eventually develops to a habit of drinking o a daily basis. Such was the life of Anthony Patch who had mastered the art of laziness leading a valueless life only eager for his grandfather to pass on so as to inherit his multimillion fortunes .Patch’s drinking habits were picked while at school in Princeton where his initial life was tied around books but due to peer influence channeled through his schoolmates who thought of him as being dull and a hopeless romantic, he besought to drinking just like the rest of his peers and vowed to explore the world and party using his family fortune. At some point in life, Anthony Patch is enrolled into Camp Hooker during the war years but he proves to be mentally disoriented as he spends his days in the camp getting drunk and t o cap it all picked up a mistress. Though the move of enrolled into Camp Hooker is considered as a patriotic one, his friends at the camp are another worthless lot who gratify and support his drinking tendencies by indulging in the same with him. His drinking trysts make him a favorite among his camp buddies for he is treated respect for the incessant parties he throws while at camp thus putting to light contemptibility and stupidity of his friends CITATION Mau22 l 1033 (Maunsell, 1922). Patch then meets Gloria Gilbert who beauty is impeccable and he is quickly swept off is feet as he vows to pursue his romantic desires to his life’s death with Gloria. Gloria herself is a replica of Antony for her dogma is satisfaction of worldly pleasures as she selflessly puts it herself, â€Å"If I wanted anything, Id take it I cant be bothered resisting things I want†¦ (Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 235)† It is with the same creed that she detests her husband’s inability to continuously sustain her lavish and innumerable cocktails. Just like everyone else, this couple turns to alcoholism to camouflage their life frustrations to the extent that Anthony cannot do without a taste of the bottle described in Gloria’s own words, â€Å"Oh no, he doesn’t show it anymore unless he can hardly stand up, and  he talks alright till he gets excited. He talks much  better than he does when he’s sober. But he’s been sitting here all day drinking- except for the time it took him to walk the corner for a newspaper†¦ (Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 398)† This entry at towards the end of the novel shows how despicable and dependable Antony patch’s life has been on alcohol after missing out on his grandfather’s fortune and the same being directed towards a servant. Perhaps, Patch’s party and drinking habits were fueled by the fact that he was heir to a rich empire built by his rather strict disciplinarian grandfather who gave no room to unvalued morals. An event where he walks into one of Gloria and Antony’s raucous wild party at their apartment is a representation of his disgust and vilification for irresponsible behavior. His body language and events that transpire after this speaks volumes about his disciplinary antics; at the party, he stares at a white-faced Antony with disgust and in disbelief and utters five denouncing words to the young man in front of him, â€Å"†¦Well go back to Suttleworth..(Fitzgerald, 2002, p. 235)† The mood in the mood is all somber, both Gloria and Patch are frightened by Cross Patch’s presence but he silently walks out of the room after his works. Repercussions that follow are that gets disinherited of his grandfather’s fortune and it is directed towards a servant. They co ntest the decision after his grandfather’s passing but it only makes them more miserable as they entrenched deeper into alcoholism to drown their sorrows. The Damned and beautiful closes as tragic story of an individual who had it all but wasted the opportunity through lavish parties and alcoholism to end up in a wheel chair by age thirty three. References   Fitzgerald, F. S. (2002). The Beautiful and The Damned . New York : Simon Schuster . Maunsell, F. L. (1922, March 5). Latest Works of Fiction: The Beautiful and The Damned . Retrieved October 11, 2014, from The New York Times : http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/12/24/specials/fitzgerald-damned.html Source document

Learning styles in language learning

Learning styles in language learning Chapter 2 Literature Review In this chapter, the author briefly reviewed the literature related to this study. notion of learning styles including definition of the key terms, categories of learning styles, and Oxfords theory on language learning styles were first reviewed. Then the author examined the gender and foreign language learning theories related to learning styles. Finally, the author reviewed previous studies that have been made on the relationship between learning styles and second or foreign language learning both abroad and home. 2.1 Theories Related to Learning Styles This section includes definitions of different terms of learning styles, categories of learning styles and Oxfords theory of language learning styles. 2.1.1 Different Terms Regarding Learning Styles The definitions of styles and learning styles are first reviewed, and then cognitive styles and learning styles are differentiated in this part. 2.1.1.1 Definitions of Styles and Learning Styles Styles Before reviewing the literature of learning styles, it is necessary to know the definition of styles. The concept of styles was first put forward by cognitive psychologists. Brown (2002: 104) defines style as a term that refers to consistent and rather enduring tendencies or preferences within an individual. Therefore, styles are those general characteristics of intellectual functioning (and personality type, as well) that especially pertain to one as an individual, that differentiate one from someone else. Learning Styles Regarding studies of learning styles, the most serious problem is the confusion of its definitions. In the past two decades, the learning styles has been used in various and sometimes confusing ways in the literature. It is very common to hear different opinions on its definitions based on different findings in this comparatively new research field of learning styles, for each study defines it from particular perspectives. However, there is not an agree-upon definition of learning styles. Learning styles can be defined in the following ways. Keefe (1979, cited in Brown, 2002:10) defines learning styles as the characteristic cognitive, affective and physiological behaviors that serve as relatively stable indicators of how learners perceive, interact with and respond to the learning environment.Dunn et al. (1978:11) defines learning styles as the way in which each person absorbs and retains information and/or skills; regardless of how that process is described, it is dramatically different for each person. Sims Sims (1990, cited in Reid, 2002) put forward that learning styles are typical ways a person behaves, feels, and processes information in learning situations. Therefore, learning style is demonstrated in that pattern of behavior and performance by which an individual approaches educational experience. Oxford et al. (1991) briefly defines the learning style as the general approaches students used to learn a new subject or tackle a new problem. Claxton and Murrell (1987, cited in Eliason, 2002: 19-20) use an onion metaphor in which the layers of the onion represent layers of learning styles: basic personality characteristics form the core; information-processing characteristics form the second layer; social interaction characteristics form a third layer; instructional preferences form the fourth and outermost layer. Claxton and Murrell postulate that the core of the onion represents the most stable characteristics, with each successive layer being progressively more amenable to change. Tan Dingliang (1995: 12) defines learning styles as: the way that a learner often adopts in the learning process, which includes the learning strategies that have been stabilized within a learner, the preference of some teaching stimuli and learning tendency. Reid (1995) summarizes definitions of learning styles as internally based characteristics of individuals for the intake or understanding of new information. Essentially learning styles are based upon how a person perceives and processes information to facilitate learning. Among these definitions, Kinsella definition of learning styles is widely accepted (Reid, 2002). Kinsella (1994, cited in Reid, 2002) concludes that learning style is an individuals natural, habitual, and preferred way(s) of absorbing, processing, and retaining new information and skills which persist regardless of teaching methods or content area. Kinsella also emphasizes that everyone has a learning style, but each persons is as unique as a signature. Each signature appears to be influenced by both nature and nurture; it is a biological and developmental set of characteristics. (1994, cited in Reid, 2002: 171) 2.1.1.2 Cognitive Styles and Learning Styles The second problem about the study on learning styles is the confusion of the meanings of the terms of learning styles and cognitive styles as they are often used interchangeably in research. The clarification of the two terms will be helpful to better understand learning styles. Messicks (1984) definition of cognitive styles has been widely cited. He defines cognitive styles as consistent individual differences in preferred ways of organizing and processing information and experience. Cognitive styles are characteristic self-consistent mode of functioning which individual shows in their perceptual and intellectual activities (Stern, ! 983: 373). According to Tan Dingliang (1995) and Kang Shumin (2003), cognitive styles mainly refer to the ways of information processing, that is, individuals typical ways of processing perception, memory and thinking. Brown (2002: 104) suggests that the way we learn things in general and the particular attack we make on a problem seem to hinge on a rather amorphous link between personality and cognition; this link is referred to as cognitive style. According to Brown (2002), when cognitive styles are specially related to an educational context, where affective and physiological factors are intermingled, they are usually more generally referred to as learning styles. Thus from this perspective, learning styles are regarded as a subset of cognitive styles. Meanwhile, cognitive styles can sometimes be seen as a subset of learning styles. Keefe (1986) reports that learning styles include not only cognitive processes, but also integrate affective and physiological behaviors that assist learners to perceive, interact with, and respond to the learning environment. Renzulli David Yun Dai (2001) differentiate the two terms in detail: cognitive styles are mainly concerned in psychological domain, while learning styles are mainly proposed by researchers of educational field; researchers of cognitive styles adopt a more positive approach, whereas researchers of learning styles focus on a more phenomenological perspective. Regarding the methodology, performance-based measure is usually used by cognitive styles researchers, while self-report is the measure that learning styles researchers primarily use. 2.1.2 Categories of Learning Styles Confusion also exists in the literature on categories of learning styles for many same or similar factors researched under the same name. Reid (1995) divides learning-style research into three major categories: cognitive styles, sensory learning styles, and personality learning styles. 2.1.2.1 Cognitive Learning Styles Cognitive learning styles which include field-independent/field-dependent, analytic/global, reflective/impulsive learning styles, and Kolb experiential learning model, belong to the aspects of psychology. Among them researches on field -independent/field-dependent (FI/FD) attract the most attention of SLA domain (Ellis, 1994). According to Reid (1995), field-independent learners learn more effectively step by step, or sequentially, beginning with analyzing facts and proceeding to ideas. They see the trees instead of the forest; whereas field-dependent (field-sensitive) learners learn more effectively in contexts, holistically, intuitively, and are especially sensitive to human relationships and interactions. They see the forest instead of the trees. Chapelle (1995) explains that FI/FD refers to how people perceive and memorize information. Reid (1995) defines that analytic learners learn more effectively individually; prefer setting own goals, and respond to a sequential, linear, step-by-step presentation of materials; whereas global (relational) learners learn more effectively through concrete experience, and by interactions with others. According to Reid (1995), if learners can learn more effectively given time to consider options before responding, they are reflective learners; and they are often more accurate language learners; whereas if learners can learn more effectively being able to respond immediately and to take risks, they are impulsive learners; and they are often more fluent language learners. Kolb (1984) categorizes his experiential learning model of perception (concrete experiences and abstract conceptualization) and process (reflective observation and active experimentation) into four learner types which are converger, diverger, assimilator, and accommodator. Converger (common sense learner) learns more effectively when she or he is able to perceive abstractly and to process actively. Diverger (innovative learner) learns more effectively when she or he is able to perceive concretely and to process reflectively. Assimilator (analytic learner) learns more effectively when she or he is able to perceive abstractly and to process reflectively. Accommodator (dynamic learner) learns more effectively when she or he is able to perceive concretely and to process actively. 2.1.2.2 Sensory Learning Styles According to Reid (1995), sensory learning styles include two dimensions: Perceptual learning styles and environmental learning styles. Perceptual learning styles contain four types of learning styles which are auditory, visual, tactile and kinesthetic styles. Auditory learners learn more effectively through the ears; visual learners learn more effectively through the eyes (seeing); tactile learners learn more effectively through touch (hands-on); kinesthetic learners learn more effective through concrete complete body experiences (whole-body movement). Physical and sociological styles belong to the environmental learning styles. Physical learners learn more effectively when such variables as temperature, sound, light, food, mobility, time, and classroom/study arrangement are considered. Sociological learners learn more effectively when such variables as group, individual, pair and team work, or levels of teacher authority are considered. 2.1.2.3 Affective/Temperament Learning Styles Learning styles of this type are based on affect, personality, tolerance of ambiguity and brain hemisphere. Myer and Briggs (1987, cited in Reid, 1995) report that affective and personality factors influence learners learning styles a great deal. Mayer-Briggs team tested four dichotomous styles of functioning in their Mayer and Briggs Temperament Styles (MBTI) which include extraversion-introversion, sensing-perception, thinking-feeling, and judging-perceiving. According to Reid (1995), extroverted and introverted styles belong to extraversion-introversion. Extroverted learner learns more effectively through concrete experience, contract with the outside world, and relationships with others; whereas introverted learner learns more effectively in individual, independent situations that are more involved with ideas and concepts. Sensing-perception contains sensing and perception styles. Sensing learner learns more effectively from reports of observable facts and happenings; prefers phy sical, sense-based input. Conversely, perception learner learns more effectively from meaningful experiences and from relationships with others. In thinking-feeling styles, thinking learner learns more effectively from impersonal circumstances and logical consequence; whereas feeling learner learns more effectively from personalized circumstances and social values. And in judging-perceiving styles, judging learner learns more effectively by reflection, and analysis, and processes that involve closure; conversely, perceiving learner learns more effectively through negotiation, feeling, and inductive processes that postpone closure. Reid (1995) suggests that tolerance of ambiguity styles also belong to the affective/temperament learning styles. Ambiguity-tolerant learner learns more effectively when opportunities for experiment and risk, as well as interaction, are present; whereas ambiguity-intolerant learners learns more effectively when in less flexible, less risky, more structured situations. Reid (1995) also claims that whether the learner is left-brained or right-brained will influence learners learning styles. Left-brained learners tend toward visual, analytic, reflective, self-reliant learning; conversely, right-brained learners tend toward auditory, global/relational, impulsive, interactive learning. 2.1.3 Oxfords Language Learning Styles Theory Oxford and Burry-stock (1995) put forward the most significant styles for ESL/EFL learning which include global/analytic, field-independent/field-dependent, feeling/thinking, impulsive/reflective, intuitive-random/concrete-sequential, closure-oriented/open, extroverted/introverted, and visual/auditory/hands-on styles. They suggest that each style preference offers significant benefits for learning and that the important thing for learners is to identify the style preferences and to apply them whenever possible. Oxford (1991, cited in Kang Shumin, 2003) groups all the above learning styles into three categories: sensory learning styles (visual, auditory, and hands-on), cognitive learning styles (intuitive-random and concrete-sequential, closure-oriented/open and global/analytic), and personality learning styles (extroverted and introverted). 2.1.3.1 Sensory Learning Styles Visual styles Visual students enjoy reading and they prefer material in a classroom environment to be presented in a visual format such as books, board work, and handouts. Auditory styles Auditory students enjoy lectures, conversations and oral directions. They prefer material in a classroom environment that is presented as auditory input such as radio, oral instruction, oral communication and audiotape. Hands-on styles Hands-on students like lots of movement and enjoy working with collages, flashcards, and tangible objects. They prefer to be physically involved with tasks, tending to prefer activities such as Total physical Response (TPR) and role-play. Oxford et al (1992) find that sensory preferences (visual, auditory, and hands-on) are very important in the multicultural ESL/EFL classroom. Reid (1987) also argues that ESL/EFL students from different cultures vary significantly in their sensory preferences. Those with Asian cultural backgrounds, for instance, are often highly visual, while Hispanics tend to be auditory. Students from non-Western cultures where hands-on experiences are valued often prefer a corresponding learning style. 2.1.3.2 Cognitive Learning Styles Intuitive-random/concrete-sequential styles Intuitive-random ESL/EFL students prefer to develop a mental picture of the second language in an abstract, random manner in search of the underlying language system. In the absence of comprehensive knowledge of the target language, intuitive-random style learners typically employ speculative and predictive strategies. Concrete-sequential ESL/EFL students prefer rigidly performed, strictly planned and adhered to sequential classes. They like language learning materials and techniques that involve combinations of sound, movement, sight, and touch, and that can be applied in a concrete, sequential, linear manner. Closure-Oriented/Open-oriented styles Closure-oriented ESL/EFL students perform more effectively if presented with structured activities and more time. Typically, they favor carefully planned and completed tasks, as opposed to ambiguity and uncertainty in a classroom environment. Open-oriented ESL/EFL students favor a more open and flexible schedule, demonstrating a high degree of tolerance towards ambiguity in the classroom. Typically, they approach a language assignment or a class activity as though it were an entertaining game, and they do not worry about not comprehending everything, and do no feel the need to come to rapid conclusions about the topic. Global/Analytic Styles The global style ESL/EFL students typically employ a holistic view early in the learning process, into which they fit more detailed information as learning progresses. They typically look at several aspects of the topic at the same time, constantly making corrections between the theoretical aspects and practical applications as they learn, and make substantial use of analogies. Moreover this type of learner employs holistic strategies to solve problems including guessing and paraphrasing, favoring a search for the general idea rather than for accuracy. Ellis (1989) argues that global learners prefer experiential learning and learning through communication. The analytic style ESL/EFL students have no trouble picking out significant details from a welter of background items. They typically focus their attention more narrowly on pieces of information, how in the hierarchical structure, preferring detail rather than the overall picture. They are orientated towards rules tending to focus on step-by-step presentation of material. Typically, theoretical and practical aspects are learned separately. Moreover, this type of learner employs language strategies that favor exact wording rather than guessing or paraphrasing-in their aim of achieving accuracy. Ellis (1989) suggests that analytic learners prefer formal, individual learning in a classroom environment. 2.1.3.3 Personality Learning Styles Extroversion/Introversion The dimension of styles particularly influences classroom management, especially grouping of students. Extroverted students perform most productively in a group environment, enjoying activities that involve other students, such as role-play, conversation and other interaction favoring social goals as opposed to impersonal rewards. Conversely, introverted students are stimulated most by their own inner world of ideas and feelings. They like working alone or else in a pair with someone they know well. They dislike lots of continuous group work in the ESL/EFL classroom. This contrast is somewhat similar to the categories of group/individual style made by Reid (1987). 2.2 Gender Differences in Language Learning Styles Many investigations show that males and females learn differently. Where do the gender differences come from? Several sources can be postulated for gender differences in language learning styles. Among these are brain hemisphericity and socialization. 2.2.1 Gender Differences in Brain Hemisphericity According to Oxford (2002), brain hemisphericity or lateralization (right, left and integrated) is a feature of many learning style surveys. Research on the two cerebral hemispheres indicates that each hemisphere may be responsible for a particular mode of thinking. The left hemisphere is associated with logical, analytical thought, with mathematical and linear processing of information. The right hemisphere perceives and remembers visual, tactile and auditory images and it is more efficient in processing holistic, integrative and emotional information (Brown, 1994). Each hemisphere deals with language differently. According to Willing (1988, cited in Oxford, 2002), right-hemisphere-dominant individualsthose whose right side of the brain typically dominates their thinking processestend to be more field dependent (less able to separate the details from a confusing background), global, and emotion-oriented. Willing (1988) and Leaver (1986) (cited in Oxford, 2002) claim that left-hemisp here-dominant peoplethose whose dominant brain hemisphere is the leftare more field-independent, analytic, and logical-oriented. Some researchers such as Spring Deutsch (1989) and Elias (1992) (cited in Oxford, 2002) find several sources of gender differences in brain dominance: In men, the left hemisphere might be more lateralized (specialized) for verbal activity and the right hemisphere may be more lateralized for abstract or spatial processing. Women might use both the left and the right hemispheres for both verbal and spatial activity, thus showing more integrated brain functioning and less hemispheric differentiation. In women as compared to men, part of the corpus callosum (the bundle of brain fibers linking the left and right hemispheres) is bigger in relation to overall brain weight, allowing more information to be exchanged between the two hemispheres. Based on such research findings, Oxford (2002) postulates that males might usually process language learning information more readily through the left-hemispheric, analytic mode, but females might more often process language learning data through an integration of left-and right-hemispheric modes. However, other researchers (e.g., Fausto-Sterling, 1985, cited in Oxford, 2002) oppose the idea that brain hemispheres are more integrated in females than in males or that brain hemispheric differences can make a significant difference. The prevailing opinion seems to be that there are indeed gender differences in brain hemisphericity that deserve consideration and further exploration. And our understanding of language learning stylefor both ESL and foreign languageswould benefit if these differences were explored. (Oxford, 2002) 2.2.2 Gender Differences in Socialization According to Tan (1995), the difference between males and females is a result of both nature and nurture. The explanation of gender differences that ignore sociological factors is incomplete. Oxford (2002) claims that socialization which is the way we bring up our young and integrate them into society through a vast network of social roles might also be a great influence on gender differences in language learning styles. Through gender socialization, different behaviors and attitudes are encouraged and discouraged in men and women. Parents respond differently to boy babies and girl babies from the first hour of life, and after that teach their children sex-appropriate behaviors (Bern, 1974, cited in Oxford, 2002). Socialization process takes place not only within family, but also within school. School exercises much influence on the creation of gendered attitudes and behaviors. In school, teachers support the previous socialization patterns, paying more attention to aggressive, disru ptive boys than to girls with identical behavior, and responding to passive and dependent girlsalthough teachers prefer the behavior of girls (Serbin OLeary, 1975, cited in Oxford, 2002). In school, curriculum materials, teachers expectations, educational tracking, and peer relations encourage girls and boys to learn gender-related skills and self-concepts. 2.3 Relationship between Learning Styles and Foreign Language Learning Ellis (1994) points out that all learners analyze input and store information about the L2 in much the same way. However, he also admits that it is true that learners vary enormously in both the way they set about leaning an L2 and also in what they actually succeed in learning. Therefore, he regards the study of individual learner differences (IDs) as an important area of work in second language acquisition (SLA) research. He (1994:473) sets up a basic framework for investigating individual learner differences to guide the examinations of IDs. 2.3.1 Framework for Investigating Individual Learner Differences In his framework for investigating individual learner differences, Ellis (1994: 473) identifies three sets of interrelating variables (see Figure 2.1). The first set consists of IDs, which are of three main types: beliefs about language learning, affective states and general factors. General factors include age, language aptitude, learning style, motivation and personality. The second set of variables consists of the different strategies that a learner employs to learn and use the L2. The learner strategies encompass learning strategies and use strategies. The third set concerns language learning outcomes which can be considered in terms of overall L2 proficiency, achievement with regard to L2 performance on a particular task, and rate of acquisition. The inner part of the triangle is learning processes and mechanisms, so positioned for they are largely hidden. These three sets of variables are interrelated. ID research until now has concentrated on investigating the effects of different ID variables on learner proficiency, achievement, or rate of progress, measured in terms of performance on some kind of language test (Ellis, 1994). The general factors constitute major areas of influences on learning and can be ranged along a continuum according to how mutable they are (Ellis, 1994: 472). According to Liu Runqing (1995) and Ellis (1994) the main general factors that have received the most attention in SLA research are age, language aptitude, learning style, motivation and personality. Learners beliefs and affective states are likely to have a direct effect on L2 learning, but they themselves may be influenced by a number of general factors relating to learners ability and desire to learn and the way they choose to go about learning (Ellis, 1994). Individual learner differences-beliefs about language learning-affective states -general factors Learning processes N and mechanisms(2)(3) Learner strategies , Language learning outcomes-on proficiency-on achievement-on rate of acquisition 2.3.2 The Role of Learning Styles in Foreign Language Learning Reid (1995) provides some fundamentals of learning styles. She claims that learning styles in the ESL/EFL classrooms is based on six hypotheses: (1) Every person, students and teachers alike, has a learning style and learning strengths and weaknesses; (2) Learning styles are often described as opposite, but actually they exist on wide continuum; (3) Learning styles are value-neutral; that is, no one style is better than others (but it is true that there are students with some learning styles work better than those with some other learning styles); (4) Students must be encouraged to stretch their learning styles so that they will be more empowered in a variety of learning situations; (5) Students strategies are often linked to their learning styles; (6) Teachers should allow their students to become aware of their learning strengths and weaknesses. McCarthy (1980) claims that the learning styles theory impacts education in the following three aspects: instruction, curriculum and assessment. (1) InstructionTeachers should design their instruction methods to connect with students learning styles, using various combinations of experience, reflection, conceptualization, and experimentation. Instructors can introduce a wide variety of experiential elements into the classroom, such as sound, music, visuals, movement, experience, and even talking. (2) CurriculumEducators must place emphasis on intuition, feeling, sensing, and imagination, in addition to the traditional skills of analysis, reason, and sequential problem solving. (3) AssessmentTeachers should employ a variety of assessment techniques, focusing on the development of whole brain capacity and each of the different learning styles. Ellis (1994) concludes that learners clearly differ enormously in their preferred approach to L2 learning, but it is impossible to say which learning style works best. And quite possibly it is learners who display flexibility who are most successful, but there is no real evidence yet for such a conclusion. 2.4 Previous Researches on Learning Styles and Foreign Language Learning Abroad and Home 2.4.1 Previous Researches Done in the West When learning styles were initially introduced, the distinction between field independence (FI) and field dependence (FD) has attracted the most attention in SLA research (Ellis, 1994). The results of many studies show that people tend to be dominant in one mode of Fl/FD or the other. According to Ellis (1989), both FI/FD learners can gain language success in SLA and the embedded-figures tests have little or no relationships with the language achievement. Brown (2002) provides an explanation that FI may be important to both classroom learning and performance on paper-and-pencil tests and he believes that FI/FD is considered to be contextualized and variable within one person. In other words, the utilization of FI or FD of individual learners depends on the context of learning. Nevertheless, no evidence has been found to prove such consideration. Meanwhile, many researchers study individual learning style preferences from other dimensions. The following are some of the most representative ones. Dunn (1975, cited in Tan Dingliang, 1995: 19-20) develops the Learning Style Inventory. The learning style elements identified in the SLI are: 1) Environmental stimulus which includes the individual learners preference toward a quiet or noisy environment, a formal or casual seating design, and the preference of light and temperature. 2) Emotional stimulus. This domain mainly concerns whether individual learner possesses a high degree of motivation, persistence and responsibility as well as whether he prefers highly structured learning materials. 3) Sociological stimulus. This category contains factors such as whether individual learner prefers to study as a member of a team and whether he depends on authority to confirm his judgment and whether he likes to study in routines. 4) Physiological stimulus. This sort contains the perceptual preferences of individual learner, i.e., his tendency to auditory, visual, tactile or kinesthetic patterns and his mobility while learning and his tend ency to the time of learning such as morning and afternoon. According to Kinsella (1994, cited in Reid, 2002), Dunn and Dunn add the psychological stimulus in 1979. This category contains the individual learners preference toward right or left hemisphere learning style which includes factors such as analytical/global, reflective/impulsive learning styles, etc. The Dunns model is very important for it representing the complexity of variables which potentially influence students distinct approaches to learning comprehensively. Many researchers developed their studies based on Dunns model. Reid (1987) classifies learners into six different types in accordance of their style differences, namely, visual, auditory, kinesthetic, tactile, group and individual types. Based on her own theory, Reid conducts a study in 1987 to investigate the preferred learning styles of students with different language backgrounds. The research reports that learners preferences often differ significantly from those of native speakers of US. They show a general preference for kinesthetic and tactile learning styles (with the exception of the Japanese), and they view group learning style as a negative one. Proficiency level is irrelevant to learning style preferences. However, no matter which background a learner comes from, the longer he stays in the US, the more his learning styles resemble the native speakers. Melton (1990) uses Reids Perceptual Learning Style Preference Questionnaire to examine the six learning styles of 331 Chines

RIM is Done Essay -- Business, Technology

Research In Motion (RIM) is a Canadian multinational telecommunications company headquartered in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada, that designs, manufactures and markets wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile and tele-communications market. They are mostly known for making the BlackBerry brand. When the BlackBerry was invented during the early 2000’s it was a huge hit. When 2011 came along, things starting to go downhill for RIM. Over the course of the year, they have lost more than 75% of their stock value. This caused a decline in investor’s confidence. However, they would have to deal with competition from Apple, faulty devices like Playbook turned consumers off, and frequent job cuts. If these points do not get dealt within the next 5 years they will declare bankruptcy and will cause a major impact in the cellphone industry. Competition from Apple is taking away potential sales from RIM. However, it is one of the few problems they must deal with in order for them stay in business. Apple is just one of the few competitors for RIM. On October 12th, Apple released the new iMessage and its new iPhone 4S and while that was happening, RIM was facing a worldwide outage that affected millions of people. People that were using the BlackBerry were sick, and tried having to deal with frequent outages, and decided to switch to the iPhone. That is another reason why competitors like Apple are doing a lot better because of selection. Rim’s phones are out-dated compared to those other firms’. Consumers have more choices today, and in many cases, the alternatives are superior. The BlackBerry has a single-core chip inside with a 640x480 screen, compared to the Apple, which has two-cores and 640x960 screens. On March 11th 2011, Apple release... ...ada – CBC News, December 15, 2011 RIM looking anemic: Revenues down, more job cuts on the way, PlayBook sales negligible, September 15, 2011 RIM stocks drop 23 per cent after BlackBerry maker reports poor Q2 performance – Global News, September 16, 2011 RIM timeline – theSpec.com, January 23, 2012 Exclusive: Amazon weighed buying RIM, interest cooled – Yahoo! Finance, January 12, 2012 Is Lazaridis/Balsillie exit enough to save RIM? – Yahoo! Finance, January 23, 2012 Rim’s Chances For A Successful 2012: About Zero – BYTE, January 03, 2012 Rim’s Chances For A Successful 2012: About Zero – BYTE, January 03, 2012 RIM stock declines 8.4% following CEO step-down – Fudzilla, January 23, 2012 Ten things RIM's new CEO must do right away – CNET News, January 23, 2012 Microsoft, Nokia Reportedly Considering Rim Buyout – HotHardware, January 12, 2012

Revealing Essay -- Personal Narrative Writing

Revealing And oh ye high flown quills that soar the skies, And ever with your prey still catch your praise, If e'er you deign these lowly lines your eyes, Give thyme or Parsley wreath, I ask no Bays. This mean and unrefined ore of mine Will make your glist'ring gold but more to shine. -Anne Bradstreet, from Prologue â€Å"Honey, if you ever get yourself pregnant, you always have a home†. My mother’s most memorable words of advice on sex were doled out to me at the tender age of six. Her prematurely passed on advice lost its sentiment for a couple of reasons. In spite of my kindergarten experiences, I had no idea how to â€Å"get† myself pregnant, (the phraseology obviously conveying that it only takes one to tango). After too many conversations carried on within my earshot about labor pains, forceps, episiotomies, and pre-labor enemas by the late-teen to early twenty something army of military mothers that hung out at our house in a cloud of cigarette smoke and swearing, the thought of pregnancy terrified me. My mother parented primarily through scare tactics hoping to control my behavior through fear. She warned me of many taboos including the lewd act of †¦.writing. Before being forced to drop out of high school due to her pregnancy with me, she decided to bring a diary to school. Somehow, she lost it. The book fell into the hands of the adminis tration after being passed around the school population. My mother ended up on suspension for the detailed diary entries regarding her hellish home life and promiscuity. In today’s world, a teen bringing her book of confessions to school desperately cries for a sch... ... enjoy each diverse personality from Doug, the humorous cynic penning his sunny sarcasm to mysterious well-spoken, well-written Wendy describing her diverse interests to caring Camille finding the courage to write it all down to our fearless leader who kept reminding us that he was the teacher. However, due to the small class size, he willingly began to streak around in his shorts, too, so to speak, sharing his own penned thoughts. The experience undressed my fears, opening my once-hidden self like a centerfold. I revealed myself unashamed to this gracious group of fellow writers, inviting critique and learning to accept all my scars and scabs. I have now succumbed to the suggestion of seeking publication for some of my more shapely work. I’m dropping the seventh veil, a come-on for the general public. I’m writing it all down and I want the whole world to know!

Effect of African Americans on World War II Essay -- segregation and di

Throughout history, many groups have been segregated at one point or another. These groups included Native Americans, Jews, and many many more. Some groups accepted their fate, while others fought to prove who they really were. Really overall, African-Americans at the time of World War II were one of the most segregated and oppressed groups of all time. However, instead of accepting their fate, they chose to prove who they were and are through fighting and other means, such as demonstrations. African-Americans helped in World War II through the 761st Tank Battalion, the Tuskegee Airmen, and other actions off the frontline. Before World War II, although Abraham Lincoln had spoken the Emancipation Proclamation in 1863 and the U.S. had gone through the Civil War around 1861, not much had significantly changed for African-Americans. Really nothing changed for African-Americans until much later, around the 1960s, when schools legally had to integrate African-Americans and whites. In relation to other events, World War II began in 1939, Jackie Robinson started on first base in 1947, and Rosa Parks was arrested in 1961. Therefore, at the time leading up to and shortly before World War II, there was not much effective action in terms of equal rights for all races. However, as seen here, after World War II, equality between races became a very prominent, pressing issue. This can partially be traced back to the effect of African-Americans in World War II. One of the first groups that come to mind when people think of African-Americans in World War II is the Tuskegee Airmen. The Tuskegee Airmen were a group of all African-American fighters who led the charge for equal rights of all races in World War II. They were the first African-Americans... ...en â€Å"Training for War â€Å"War Record This website is reliable because it is the website of a commemorative Red Tail group that honors the Tuskegee Airmen. â€Å"Women In Military Service For America Memorial.† Women In Military Service For America Memorial. Accessed March 30, 2014. http://www.womensmemorial.org/Education/BBH1998.html.#4. This website is reliable because it is a website made to educate and teach about women in the military.

Texting and Driving Should Be Banned

Have you ever considered reading a book while driving? If not then why would you text and drive? Driving is something that requires your full attention. When you open up your cell phone to send a text or receive a text then you might as well get out a book and start reading. Suppose you are driving down the road and your phone alerts you that you have a text message coming in, when you grab for that phone you are a victim of visual, cognitive, and manual distraction. Many people have lost their lives due to visual distraction. When you take your eyes off of the road, it only takes one second to cause an accident. I am sure if sixteen year old Ashley Johnson could start her day over she would. On May the 15 this exceptional, popular tenth grader had been texting while driving when she hit a pickup head on. She was in critical care for several days before dying sustained to injuries that occur during her accident. Not only did she lose her life but someone lost their daughter, granddaughter, sister and friend. If only she could have waited until she stopped driving. Patrick Sims is another prime example of why you should not text and drive. Patrick and his girlfriend were driving down the road the day before Thanksgiving. Patrick was texting a friend when his girlfriend started screaming, as he looked up there was a bicyclist so close to the front of his vehicle that he could not avoid hitting him. This was a sixty three year old grandfather that was out riding his bike for health reasons, minding his own business. Now this is something that this young man has to deal with for the rest of his life. He told CBS during an interview that he wished that he could have another chance; he also told them that the image of this man lying on the street dead would never leave his mind. I remember texting one time while I was driving and it was the first time and the last. I got a text message and I wasn’t going to read it but I was scared it was my mom or about my mom because she was sick. I was going to wait till I stopped at the red-light to check it but it was just too tempting to wait so I grabbed my phone to read my text when I ran off of the side of the road. That was a stupid decision on my behalf. It was only my niece wanting to know what I was doing. It was not just my life in danger it was also my children’s. I decided that day that I would never read a text again while driving. I am just thankful and fortunate that I got another chance. I honestly believe when you put yourself or someone else’s life in jeopardy by texting it is not an accident. You know exactly what you are doing when you open that phone and start typing or reading. Texting should not be just ban from people that drive automobiles but it should also be for people who drive trains and buses. It is a cognitive distraction when you take your mind off of what you are doing. On September the twelfth two thousand and ten, Robert Sanchez a commuter train engineer started his day like every other day. I’m sure when he left his home that morning he never thought it would be his last day returning home. During the day Robert was texting and receiving text from a young guy who he mentors. Robert did not yield and hit a freight train head on killing twenty five people and injuring eighty more. Roberts’s life was taking that day instantly. His life was taken just because he answered a text letting this young boy know where he was. This could have been prevented. Not only is his family grieving but so are all of the innocent lives that were taking that day. If you feel like you are too tempted to text while driving then you need to turn off your phone until you get stopped or put it away where you cannot reach it. Texting don’t only cause you to take your mind off of your driving but when your texting you don’t have on your hands on the wheel. When you are driving it is important that you drive with your hands not your knees or your forearm. I’m sure some people don’t think manual distraction is such a big issue when it comes to driving, but trust me it is. It is just as important as visual or cognitive distraction. Any time that you are driving you need to avoid all three distractions. You have a better chance reacting to a situation if you are driving with both hands. I know a young lady that went to school with my nephew. She was driving home one day after school, it was her and her little brother Ben. Sarah was texting while driving, Ben said that she had her knee up under the steering wheel driving and she came upon a curve and she just couldn’t react fast enough and lost control, she was killed. Her brother survived this terrible tragedy physically but not mentally. It has been ten years now and this young man is still seeing his sister lay beside him in this car bleeding from the head and not responsive. I feel like people are just selfish when it comes to texting. I know a lot of people don’t think about the consequences but it’s time that people wake up and see what texting and driving can do to families. I understand that texting is the new fad and some people rather text then talk. Texting is not a necessity to life. Many people have lost their lives because they made the wrong choice. I’m sure if the victims that have been involved in a misfortune could have another chance to drive without texting and take more responsibility for their actions they would. Driving is something that takes all the attention you can offer. That includes watching where you’re going, keeping your mind on what you’re doing and keeping both hands where they need to be. If you feel like you just can’t wait to text pull over to a safe place and text. Before you text and drive again visualize a loved one in your life and ask yourself this question, is it fair to them that I am being so selfish, not caring if I take my life or someone else’s life? I promise you that you’re not going to die if you have to wait to text but if you don’t wait to text you will definitely die.

Universal Children’s Day

Universal Children’s Day The United Nations' (UN) Universal Children's Day, which was established in 1954, is celebrated on November 20 each year to promote international togetherness and awareness among children worldwide. UNICEF, the United Nations Children's Fund, promotes and coordinates this special day, which also works towards improving children's welfare. What do people do? Many schools and other educational institutions make a special effort to inform children of their rights according to the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.Teachers stimulate their pupils to think about the differences between themselves and others and explain the idea of â€Å"rights†. In countries where the rights of children are generally well-respected, teachers may draw attention to situations in countries where this is not the case. In some areas UNICEF holds events to draw particular attention to children's rights. These may be to stim ulate interest in the media around the world or to start nationwide campaigns, for instance on the importance of immunizations or breastfeeding.Many countries, including Canada, New Zealand and the United Kingdom, hold Universal Children's Day events on November 20 to mark the anniversaries of the Declaration of the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. However, other countries hold events on different dates, such as the fourth Wednesday in October (Australia) and November 14 (India). Universal Children's Day is not observed in the United States, although a similar observance, National Child's Day, is held on the first Sunday in June. Public life Universal Children's Day is a global observance and not a public holiday.Survey Saturday, Nov. 20, is Universal Children’s Day, as declared by the United Nations, and a new survey of children illuminates the wants and needs of kids living in poverty. The  Small Voices, Big Dreams  survey questioned ch ildren ages 10 to 12 in 30 countries throughout Africa, Asia and the Americas. Conducted by  ChildFund Alliance, which is comprised of global child development organizations, the survey found that one in three children goes to bed hungry at least once a week; more than 25% spend half of every day working, including household chores and other work but not counting school or homework.Importance It was established in 1954 to protect children working long hours in dangerous circumstances and allow all children access to an education. The  UN General Assembly  recommended that all countries should establish a Universal Children's Day on an â€Å"appropriate† day. Celebration Children's Day  is celebrated on various days in many places around the world, Ecuador, Czech Republic, Albania, Armenia, Angola, Mongolia, Ukraine, Vietnam celebrate it on June 1 Sweden, Sri Lanka, El Salvador, Guatemala celebrate it on October 1

A Struggle to Learn Essay

From the time when I was a little boy, growing up in Graves County, Kentucky, I have had problems with my reading and writing. Things never seemed to click for me, a trait that the teachers attributed to a mild case of dyslexia mixed with a healthy dose of attention deficit disorder. I knew, however, that no disorder was the cause of my distaste of reading and writing. Rather, there was nothing really interesting surrounding me that would grab my interest in the classroom. The teachers I encountered never took any interest in what their students wanted to read or write; they developed assignments based on what the curriculum, a course of study developed by some politicians at the Board of Education, told them to do. This work was so far removed from what we, as students were experiencing in our own lives, and the assignments were so boring that they could have put an insomniac to sleep. However, my life changed the day I met my Junior English teacher, Mr. Clark Duncan. Clark Duncan was an interesting man, especially when you contrasted him with the surroundings in Graves County. Most of the men in Graves lived their days in work clothes, with at least one article of camouflage attached to their outfits at any given time. Almost every jean pocket showed the wear from a Skoal can because no true Graves man would work or socialize without a dip in his mouth. The most common calls that the police received were from residents who were concerned because the neighbor’s cows had gotten loose and were standing in the middle of the road keeping them from getting to work at the tire plant. In short, my town and the surrounding county, were about as country as a town can be. Everyone knew that when Mr. Duncan walked in, he must be from another place altogether. As he stepped over the threshold into my English class, his highly polished, patent leather wing tips were the first thing I noticed. This man was J Crew in a sea of Carhartt. He wore a tan, cotton suit which looked like something out of the Great Gatsby, and he glided across the floor with a smoothness that a person does not achieve when wearing a pair of Justin boots. His hair was parted and smoothed, almost like glass was shimmering on the surface, but, amazingly, he looked effortless and at ease within the confines of a classroom filled with the daughters and sons of plant operators. While I may have been enamored of this new teacher, the quiet insults started almost immediately. I heard someone say, â€Å"What a fruit,† from the back of the room, loud enough for the class to hear, but just quiet enough for the teacher to be unaware of the declaration against his manhood. It didn’t help that Mr. Duncan was wearing a large tote bag to carry his books which amounted to a large handbag. Some students sniggered that they would be talking to their parents and getting out of the class immediately before Duncan’s gayness rubbed off on them. However cruel the other students were being, it all stopped when Duncan opened his mouth. â€Å"Your county has some of the worst literacy rates in the state. According to your test scores, most of you can barely even read or write. I will be honest with you; I think that the current curriculum breeds stupidity and is only appropriate for people who aspire to complete mediocrity. I may only last one year, but I am, from this point forth, deciding not to follow the curriculum. You can leave your books under your desk, because you will not be needing them. In this class, we will dwell on our ability to think and communicate, not our ability to memorize the balcony speech from Romeo and Juliet. You have the option of leaving this class if you aspire to mediocrity and do not wish to be challenged.† You could have heard a pin drop when Duncan finished his speech. Not a single person left the room, but I do not know if it is necessarily because they had a wish to be challenged by this new teacher. Rather, I think everyone was in shock. This man, who everyone had immediately decided must have been a sissy pushover, had just attacked the very foundations of our local educational system. There was no doubt that he was correct that we had been living in a haze of poorly-planned assignments and simple memorization tests, but no teacher had dared to question these methods before. We all knew that Duncan must have been something different. In the weeks that followed, Duncan challenged every student sitting in that room. We had assignments to write essays analyzing the lyrics to Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin, who Duncan described as â€Å"trippy.† Most had never even heard of these bands, and the fact that many of their lyrics did not appear to make sense freaked us all out. However, Duncan taught us to look below the surface to find how we, ourselves, could find meaning in the work by examining our past experiences. We read Vonnegut and the Beat Poets and analyzed why we were all stuck in this box of sameness that our ancestors had lived for generations before us. We wrote journals about our fears and aspirations and, through sharing these, learned that many of the other students who seemed to different from us, were really sharing the same experiences. This was the first time in my life that I started to see reading and writing not just as an assignment to muddle through, but also a way to connect with the rich humanity which surrounded me. Mr. Duncan was correct when he stated that he could only last a year at our school. After the school board caught wind of all of the things he had been teaching in his class, he was unceremoniously fired right when the summer began. The next year, we went back to memorizing speeches from Shakespeare, but Duncan forever left a mark on me as a student. I went from being a student who hated to read and write to a student who saw writing as a means to gain further knowledge of my fellow citizens of the world as well as further knowledge of myself. I am a better communicator in every aspect of my life because of Clark Duncan, the so-called â€Å"fruit† who took on the Kentucky educational system, singlehandedly.

Of Mice And Men: Symbolism Essay

In the novel, of mice and men, theer was symbolizm throughout the story. In the beginning of the novel the stting was perfect, like â€Å"The Garden of Eden†. LIke in â€Å"The Garden of Eden† there was a snake, and in this novel it slipped across the water sggestin possible evil to come. The rabbits on the other hand symoloized Lenny’s joy and goodness, and formed the bases of his dreams. In the beginning Of Mice and Men, the story began looking like a perfect world. The author describes the setting as a wonderful place where â€Å"willows fresh and green with every spring: .(p.1) the perfect world resembles : The garden of Eden†, how everything was in place and the surroundin was in paradise.† ON the sandy bank under the trees the leaves lie †¦.among them†.(p.1) It was a wonderful place to be, because the setting is peaceful and no evil or wrond doing is happening. The snimals do not live in fear because the setting is perfect and it sounds accomadating to everyone and everything. All thought the setting was perfect in the beginning, there must be evil to come. As the snake was in â€Å"The garden of Eden† as a form of evil, there should be a form of evil to come further in the story. Teh form of evin that appars in the setting is a snake. The snake also appeared in â€Å"The garden of Eden†, and if so tehre must be some sort of evil to come. When the snake slipped across the pool, it examined the scene like a submarine would when hunting down itz prey. The snake must of picked it’s target, like a submarine would. â€Å"a water snake alipped along on the pool, it’s head held up like a little periscope†.(p.7) And that someone that the snake targeted must have been Lenny, because he dies at the end of the story. As the snake slipped across the pool â€Å"the reeds jerked slightly in the current†. (p.7)When the snake moved across the pool and the reeds started to jerk, symbolizing the peaceful world being disrupted by an evil form. Moreover, the snake symbolizes evil and the negative energy in the story, but the dreams of rabbits and the farm, they symbolize good and bring positive energy to the story and Lenny’s mind. Teh rabbits in the story symbolize Lenny’s innocent side. They also are a positive enery in the story. When the setting was described in the  beginning, the rabbit appeared showing that they are a positive energy. â€Å"Rabbits comout of the brush to sit on the sand in the evening†.(p.1)Also the rabbits are a symbol of Lenny’s innocent side, because the rabbits do not mean to harm anyone but only are there to comfort Lenny’s caring side. The rabbits were also in Lenny’s dream of teh farm. All he wanted to do was to tend to the rabbits on the fam. â€Å"And I get to tend the rabbits†.(p.105)The dream of having a farm and rabbits was what drove Lenny in life. And when George would describe the farm again and again Lenny would become happy inside, and would picture the farm in his head. Nevertheless, Lenny’s dreams did not come true/was he dead at the end, of the story. In conclusion, symbolism is used throughout the whole story, And â€Å"The garden of Eden† was a perfect world and so was the setting until the snake appeared. The snake was a form of evil and he disrpted the setting with his presence. The dream of the farm and tending to the rabbits was a wonderful dream, where Lenny’s imagination would go to when George told him of the farm.

The Oklahoma City Bombing Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Oklahoma City Bombing - Research Paper Example In early life, McVeigh spent the life of a Roman Catholic American, who was being bullied due to his tiny stature. Professor Douglas Linder associates McVeigh being bullied and his grandfather’s hunting skills with his weaponry interests (as cited in Rudkin, n.d., p.2). According to CNN, McVeigh consistently remained a conservative and registered Republican. He participated in American Gulf War after joining army (Michel & Herbeck, as cited in Rudkin, n.d., p.2).Hoffman (1997) explains that aspiring for US Green Beret McVeigh disapproved US involvement in Iraq and Kuwait (p.2). Rudkin (n.d.) further stresses that military is the only institution that conditioned McVeigh’s in-group and out-group perception and use of violence to take action against â€Å"other† or enemy(3).Which he utilized in attacking government in defense of Patriot Movement. Turk (2004) argues that McVeigh’s military engagements contributed his self-definition of a soldier and the idea of â€Å"collateral damage† inflicted on innocent (may be children) while performing his duty (p.279). Turk (2004) further highlights McVeigh’s failure in joining Green Beret unit. Responding to failures, McVeigh became increasingly interested in extremist literature, such as, â€Å"The Turner Diaries† (p.247). It was a novel by supremacist William Luther Pierce (Rudkin, n.d.p.3).According to Anti-Defamation League (ADL) it narrate a future of US federal government under Jewish control.ADL also revealed the presence of passages from â€Å"The Turner Diaries† in McVeigh’s car on the bombing day. Linder believed that McVeigh’s nescient extremism transformed into action after observing FBI’s Waco and Ruby Ridge operations. Linder further reveals that numerous non-combatant and children deaths in twin incidents motivated him to â€Å"strike back† (as cited in Rudkin, n.d., p.5). Rudkin (n.d.) believe that it was the depiction of McVeigh’s struggle against oppression of bureaucracy and a